ESAB RAMA Air Filter System Troubleshooting instruction

Brand: ESAB

Model: RAMA Air Filter System

Type: Troubleshooting instruction

RAMA Air Filter System

INSTRUCTIONS for

F-15-093

March, 1995

Test your own environment — it’s vital. Dust particulate

levels vary according to each work place environment.

Therefore, it is essential that you conduct work place tests

under local conditions. Be aware that contaminants gen-

erated while welding, cutting and gouging materials such

as stainless steel, copper or those containing chrome

could be considerably more hazardous and may require

special precautionary measures.

PRE-OPERATIONAL INSPECTION

Carry out an initial visual check for damage to the Filter unit;

if damage is found, do not use. After the visual check, follow

steps 1, 2, & 3 before use to ensure the respirator is working

correctly.

Follow the Guidelines listed below to achieve effective

performance on the system.

Be sure this information reaches the operator.

You can get extra copies through your supplier.

FUMES AND GASES, particularly in confined spaces, can

cause discomfort and physical harm. Do not breathe

fumes and gases. Shielding gases can cause asphyxia-

tion. Therefore:

a. Always provide adequate ventilation in the work area by

natural or mechanical ventilation means. Do not weld, cut,

or gouge on materials such as galvanized steel, stainless

steel, copper, zinc, lead, beryllium, or cadmium unless

positive mechanical ventilation is provided. Do not breathe

fumes and gases from these materials.

b. Do not operate in locations close to chlorinated hydrocar-

bon vapors coming from degreasing and spraying opera-

tions. The heat or arc rays can react with solvent vapors to

form phosgene, a highly toxic gas, and other irritant gases.

c. If you develop momentary eye, nose, or throat irritation

while operating, this is an indication that ventilation is not

adequate. Stop work and take necessary steps to improve

ventilation in the work area. Do not continue to operate if

physical discomfort persists.

d. For specific ventilation recommendations, refer to ANSI/

ASC Standard Z49.1, available from the American Welding

Society, 550 N.W. LeJuene Road, Miami, FL 33126.

110V

Figure 1.1

Batteries are supplied in a discharged condition, and must

initially be charged for 20 hours with their matched charger

before use. Subsequent charges only requires 14 hours. It

is better to slightly over-charge the batteries than to under-

charge them. Constant undercharging may impair the

battery capacity. Batteries may be stored in either the

charged or discharged condition, but if the storage is likely

to be of long duration, it is recommended that the battery be

charged first. If it is necessary to store the batteries in a

charged condition, every 2-3 months the batteries should

be discharged then recharged for 14 hours to ensure that

their capacity is not unduly impaired. The battery MUST be

charged for 14 hours before use.

CAUTION: The red protective cover must be kept in position

on the charging socket except when charging the

battery. If the motor starts to run when charging

the battery, depress switch on top of the filter unit.

1. Always use face seal and head gear.

2. Replace filters regularly.

3. Keep battery pack fully charged.

4. Maintain entire system in good working condition.

1. BATTERY

The Filter Unit is fitted with a rechargeable battery pack

which requires charging before use. Check that the pack is

plugged into the motor circuit. Connect the battery charger

plug into the charger socket located underneath the Filter

Unit behind the red protective cover switch on the main

supply, refer to figure 1.1. The L.E.D. indicator will light if the

charging circuit is satisfactory. Should it fail to light, the

services of a competent electrician are required to investi-

gate the cause of malfunction.

CAUTION: Use the charger supplied with the filter unit only.

Only to avoid irreparable damage.

Figure 2.1

b. Ensure that the Filter Unit, or air supply hose and

headgear are not damaged.

c. The belt should be correctly threaded through the belt

loops, and adjusted to the correct size of the wearer.

d. Connect the headgear to the Filter Unit using the bayo-

net coupling on the air hose. It should lock into position.

3. AIRFLOW TEST

Once the battery has been charged and the filters have

been fitted, the airflow should be checked. With the

bayonet fitting removed, place the airflow indicator over

the Turbo air outlet. The Turbo is switched on and off by

depressing the center red button on the top. Airflow is

satisfactory if the ball reaches the top of the tube, refer

to figure 3.1.

2. FILTER UNIT

a. Fit the filters correctly, make sure both turn buckles are

correctly latched in the enclosed position with the filter

retaining clips in the correct slot in the over center catch,

refer to figure 2.1.

c. To install a Head Cover, refer to figure 4.4. Install a piece

of velcro supplied with the head cover on to the helmet

edge. Put the head cover on the helmet. The head cover

should be cleaned or replaced periodically.

CAUTION: For the unit to be fully effective, always use head

cover and face seal.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

After use, the Respirator should be cleaned in the follow-

ing manner:

a. Remove excess dust from the outside surfaces using

a damp (water) cloth.

b. Remove both prefilter and main filter, ensuring dust

falling from filters does not enter fan inlet. Filters must

Figure 4.2a

Figure 4.2b

Figure 4.1

Figure 4.2c

b. To install a face seal, refer to figure 4.3 a, b and c. The

face seal will screen out the dust particles from entering

in the breathing zone of the welder from underneath of

the helmet. The worn out face seal should be replaced

promptly.

10mm

Figure 4.3b

Figure 4.3c

Figure 4.3a

VELCRO

UNDER

FABRIC

VELCRO

Figure 4.4

Figure 3.1

If the ball does not rise or only just rises from the bottom

of the tube, the Filter Unit should be checked by battery

or filter substitution. In the event of an airflow test being

done on a partially used filter or partially discharged

battery, then the Filter Unit should be checked by filter

substitution and/or battery charging.

4. ASSEMBLY AND FITTING

a. For assembly of filters refer to section 2 above. Fit belt

to Filter unit as shown in figure 4.1 below. Assemble

head channel and welding helmet as shown in figure 4.2

a,b, and c. Fit bayonet hose fittings to head channel and

Filter unit. Adjust waistbelt and welding helmet head

band to give comfortable fit.

be discarded into a ‘safe’ container. (If circumstance

dictate that main filters are to be reused, they must be

stored in a manner that no contaminant is released into

the atmosphere or reach the clean side of the filter. The

useful life of filters must be determined by a competent

person taking site conditions into account).

c. The filter retainer may be cleaned in warm soapy water,

rinsed in cold water and allowed to dry naturally. DO

NOT use heat.

d. The outside of the Filter Unit should be cleaned with a

soft clean cloth, and warm soapy water. Do not use

excessive amounts of water or allow water to get inside

of Filter Unit. Wipe the Filter Unit with a clean cloth

moistened with cold water. Wipe off excess water with

a clean dry cloth and allow the Filter Unit to dry naturally.

DO NOT use heat.

CAUTION: Do not allow water to get into the Filter Unit. It will

cause irreparable damage to either the motor or

battery. Do not allow water to get into the battery

charging socket.

During cleaning it may be necessary to take

precautions against any harmful dusts and/or

vapors which may be on the Filter Unit or filters.

Do not use materials that are likely to damage

plastics, e.g.; gasoline, organic solvents, or abra-

sive cleaning agents to clean the Filter Unit.

1. CHANGING FILTERS (Refer to Fig. 2.1)

The Filter Unit comes with a prefilter and main filter.

a. Prefilter: The prefilter is fitted between the inside of the

louvre cover and the wire clip. It is replaced by unlatch-

ing the wire clip, removing used filler, placing the filter

against the inside of the louvre cover and pushing the

clip back into position until clicks.

TROUBLESHOOTING

NOTE: All troubleshooting procedures described below MUST be carried out in a clean air environment. There are NO user

serviceable parts inside the Respirator unit. Air flow should be checked according to “Airflow Test” described in Pre-

operational Inspection Section.

The following operational faults may be investigated by the user by observing these procedures:

Fault Possible Cause Actions

No air flow 1. Unit not switched on 1.Operate switch several times while observing air flow indicator

2. Battery pack disconnected 2.Check battery pack connection and perform air flow test again

3. Battery discharged 3.Recharge battery pack and repeat flow test

4. Clogged filter(s) 4.Check filter or filters for clogging or other obstruction; replace as

necessary

5. Blown fuse (2amp Littlefuse) 5.Located inside the filter unit. Remove filters and four(4) Phillip

screws to remove the inside plate.

Insufficient air flow 1. Battery discharged 1.Recharge battery pack and repeat air flow test.

2. Clogged filter(s) 2.Check filter or filters for clogging or other obstruction; replace as

necessary

Unit works with 1. Blown fuse (2amp Littlefuse) 1.Located inside the filter unit. Remove filters and four(4) Phillip

charger but not screws to remove the inside plate.

with battery pack

If the actions described above fail to produce a satisfactory result, then the Respirator unit must be returned to the supplier for

examination and/or repair.

b. Main Filter: Place louver filter retainer on top of main

filter.Rotate both red turn buckles to unlock position

(see sketch) and open over-center catch.

Place the main filter into the Filter Unit body, so the filter

seal is in contact with the body all around its periphery.

If the filter is placed “back-to-front” into the body it will be

obvious that the two pillars on the Filter Unit body, are

preventing the filter from being correctly positioned.

With turn buckles in “lock” position, close over-center catch

into red “I”bars. Rotate 90 degree to click into “locked” position.

2. REPLACEMENT OF BATTERY PACK

Remove belt from Filter Unit. The Battery pack is located under

the smaller of the two backplates of the Filter Unit.

Unlatch over-center catch plates. Unlatch and remove smaller

cover by releasing the two catches from under the belt loop

(see sketch). When replacing battery, ensure the plug is

correctly inserted into the socket and that the cable cannot be

trapped and damaged.

3. STORAGE

The Respirator should be stored in a clean, dry atmosphere

within the temperature range -4° F to 158° F. It should be

protected from direct sunlight and any material known to

damage plastics, e.g. gasoline and solvent vapors.

GENERAL

a. Respiratory Protection. The Filter Unit is designed to be

used with its own range of headgear. It is essential that

only genuine manufacturer’s spares and replacements

are used. Unauthorized alternatives may impair the

performance. Renew prefilters each shift and main

filters as determined by a competent person.

b. The Filter Unit is not recommended for use outside the

temperature range of 23° F to 122° F.

RAMA AIR FILTER SYSTEM STOCK NUMBER

AIR FILTER UNIT* WITH AUTORAMA WELDING HELMET 14F70

AIR FILTER UNIT* WITH SCANORAMA (See Note 2) WELDING HELMET 14F71

AIR FILTER UNIT* WITH WELDORAMA WELDING HELMET (See Note 1) 14F72

AIR FILTER UNIT* WITH LIFTORAMA (See Note 1) WELDING HELMET 14F73

Description Stock Number

Pre-Filter (Box of 25) ........................................................................................................................................................ 14F60

Main Filter (Box of 5) ........................................................................................................................................................ 14F59

Nylon Belt ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14F64

110VAC Battery Charger ................................................................................................................................................. 14F63

Battery .............................................................................................................................................................................. 14F67

Air Flow Indicator ............................................................................................................................................................. 14F62

Air Channel, Includes Air Channel assy with Foam, Rubber band & Velcro ................................................................... 14F68

Face Seal ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14F61

Hose Assy. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14F66

Fuse, 2 Amp 250V Littlefuse ........................................................................................................................... Purchase locally

Spare Parts Kit, includes 5 each of Rubber Bands, O-Rings for Hose assembly and Velcro Tapes .............................. 14F75

Head Cover (Not Shown) ................................................................................................................................................. 14F74

* RAMA Filter Unit, includes: Waist Belt, Battery, 110VAC Battery Charger, Air Flow Indicator, Air

Channel with Foam, Hose with Connectors, Rubber Band, Velcro Tape, Face Seal, one each Pre-

Filter and Main Filter .................................................................................................................... 14F58

NOTE:

1. Helmets DO NOT come with filter plate. Order desired shade.

2. Helmet comes with a large filter screen and a filter plate, each of shade 5.

This gives a combined Shade of 10. Order Filter Plate to get other shades.

3, For Welding Helmet Accessories refer to Manual Page F8810.

F-15-093 3/95 5C Printed in U.S.A.

FILTER UNIT

AIR

CHANNEL